Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-23
'sHO1sT BY ITS OWN PETARD.v
The Refncorporation Attempt Stran-
gled in its Incipiency.

The Refncorporation Attempt Stran
gled in its Incipiency.
gious Blunder by b Miners Tlmel
Discovery More Names Improper.
Signed Than Would Invalidate q Doe
en- NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Some O
The signers.
The news which became public yesterday
in Butte, relative to the fatal flaw in tn
inception of proceedings for reincorporatior
winch The MINER was the means of dis
covering. was a surprise to everyone anG
was the common topic o~fdiscussion among
all classes. The enterprise of The MINEF
was commended on every hand, except by
Il few VIII" were disappointed at the defeat
OF a scheme that had been. they believed
carefully nursed to the point of f~ruition.
But the danger from which the community
at large was saved by the timely discovery
is more than appears at first sight. Had the
election under the petition been held &C.
cording to advertisement, and had the
SoCO OCCA Ill IdFOF VI ~pOF d
new order of things would have gone into
effect at once, and the election for mayor,
aldermen and police magistrate been held
before people had time to draw their
breath. An extensive system OF public ex-
pend:ture for laying out new streets, ad-
d%itional police, lighting and other changes
OF the existing order would have been en-
tered upon and a heavy indebtedness in
Cured at the start. The city's credit
would been pledged for a large amount OF
money and taxes would have to be in
creased accordingly. Then at some later
period it would have cropped out that all
the signers for the petition, which is the
head and front of the whole measure, were
not ~freeholders. Some people would be
certain to resist taxation under the de-
fective state OF affairs revealed and would
have appealed to the courts, and
the result would be-chaos! All this fright
full confusion and the deplorable middle in
which the city government would have
been plunged from want Of care in the first
step has been saved to the citizens of Butte.
Even the most ardent advocates of the en-
largement of the city's boundaries and
widening the scope OF its government must
feel thankful at the fate from which they
have been saved, for the half OF the evils
that would have ensued can only family be
imagined.
The investigation begun on Tuesday of
the qualification OF some OF the signers Of
the petition for reincorpo alton, was con-
tinued yesterday, and the promise made by
The MINER is now fulfilled. The City At
torney himself stated that n faulty sig
nature was as bad as a thousand-that
one would iRvalidate the ~petition-that
is, one less than the necessary two hun
dred. The MINER representative took
the list made out, containing over forty
names. and personally inquired Of each
signer he visited if he was a freeholder and
if he knew what the petition was for. It
a the old story OF petitions in this town.
Hardly any knew exactly what they were
signing. None were asked if they possessed
any real estate within the corporate limits
most of those approached signed to get
rid OF a petition. In a proceeding involv-
ing the interests which that petition was
intended to cover, such procedure avors
OF criminal carelessness. 1t is not neces-
sary to produce here the names of all those
visited. Hall q dozen will suffice, and here
they are:
M. Genzberger, of GAM & Klein's, said
he was not a freeholder. The petition was
brought to him to sign, certainly, but he
could not recall the fact hat it's contents
had been explained to him. Hundreds of
petitions are brought to him in the same
way in the course of the year, and he in
variably signs them just to oblige the
presenting them. |
The name "John Parnell Curtis" is among
the list OF ~signers. The genial Colonel Cur
tbs was seen in his office and, rubbing his
and %twinkling his merry eyes, said:
They came to me with their petition and
[ told them l was against the scheme but
they wanted a signature l Would give
them one. And SO / signed it the way1 did,
knowing that there was no John Parnell
Curtis among the fr%eeholders OF Butte"
THAT was treating the gentleman with
great contempt. colonel"
'Of course it was, just az the Irishman
lid who kept a saloon in New York and
one morning OF opening up he saw the
On the beat against whom he had
= special grudge. So he called him
over and said he would treat him. The
,op stepped up to the bar and smacked his
he need of some OF the %crathur.' The sa-
Don man went behind his bar and poured
out three fingers into a glass which he forth
With tossed off. I thought We were goin' to
'htand trate?' said the peeler getting warm
'ound the collar. And isn't it the con-
,impt ye de>arve I'm trating ye wild? p was
he the reply" and the Colonel lay back in
lis chair and Laughed consumedly."
H. Mueller, OF Schmidt & Gamers saloon,
a signer. He was seen and stated:
They ca me to me and wanted me to sign |
& Gamers name. / wouldn't do
o, but said if they wanted a signature l
would sign for myself. l am not a free
'older, and was not asked if l was. l
igned it. just to get rid OF the thing"
c. W. Cluett, OF Mcmillan & Cluett,
~ Tock Dahl .k-oo4 r,,, 80, ,l, ,s.,o1
/ am not a freebooter inside the city
said he. Il own property near
he Parrot Mill but not inside the corpor-
ton. l had an idea that the petition was
or extending the limits"
E. W. Wynne, the druggist on Main street,
ad put his name down IN the list. II am
!reeholder," said he. II had no idea
the signers had to be-. They never
old me So" !,
A. J.. White: when the party brought !
le the petition to sign l told him I only t
snted the property I lived in but ex- !
ected to buy it. He said that was good !
1ough and so down I went" :
G. A. Kornberg was out, but his brother :
,ated that it he owned no property in the !
ty limits. s
In several instances a firms name ap- .
ears which was signed by an employe, not ,
athorized to bind the firm to a contract
ke this. l
The name OF j. B. Wilcox appears on the
etition in two different places.
John H. Forbis was one Of the signers
I'd he declared publicly in the Inter Noun +
in of Tuesday among ONE interviews y
at he is not a freeholder.
Enough has been shown, without making
e list too lengthy, to kill the petition as
,ad as Beecher's Life OF Christ" was by
Re Tilton episode and the course of the
ty Council is plain.
1t is now in order for the city authorities
rescind the action taken at tho last
Getting of the City Council ordering a 4
ecial election on Thursday week. The
ayor yesterday expressed his intention c
SO doing, upon receipt OF City Attorney D.
opinion that the petition was D
valid. An opinion to that effect will no D
ubt be rendered to-day, a special meet
OF the Council held tonight and pro- =;
,dings under the faulty petition with =,
Whether an attempt will! be made -
obtain the required two hundred free ~ ~
lders' signatures on another petition in -
3 near or distant future, The MINER ~
es not attempt to ~foretell; but enough ",
position has found public expression to oal
2 re~incorporation act itself to make such ~
attempt very inopportune SO long as -